


Look at What We Made

by foolyoulove



Series: Domestic Bliss and Detours [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Babyfic, Banter, Childbirth, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Marriage, Parenthood, Pepperony - Freeform, Pregnancy, Tony Stark has a bit of a potty mouth, sick!baby comfort, some characters only appear in one chapter--sorry guys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-15
Updated: 2013-04-25
Packaged: 2017-11-11 21:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/483233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foolyoulove/pseuds/foolyoulove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark and Pepper Potts: innovative corporate executives, part-time superhero(es), and new parents.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. This Is Our Baby Girl

**Author's Note:**

> I had a lot of feels but not a lot of plot for Tony and Pepper, so these scenes happened. I reserve the right to expand upon any or all of them in the future if inspiration strikes! :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Maybe Audrey would be an entertainer instead of an engineer. A biologist instead of a businesswoman. Someone who'd shy away from the spotlight instead of basking in it. Or maybe she'd follow in their footsteps--that'd be okay too._

Tony was on the other side of the globe when Pepper went into labor, despite his best efforts to stay within shouting distance as her due date loomed. They had been forced to accept that sometimes the world needed Iron Man at the same time that Pepper needed Tony, and the world’s stakes were usually higher. 

She generally tried to avoid calling Tony while he was out in the suit (even after all this time, referring to "missions" still felt kind of absurd to her, so she found all sorts of clumsy ways around it); this time, she put off calling him as long as she thought she could. He'd probably know the reason for her call as soon as she rang, and she didn't want to feel responsible for whatever or whomever he would probably immediately drop in order to rush home. But since Happy was already on his way to take her to the hospital, she decided she shouldn't wait any longer.

He picked up the call faster than she thought possible, of course. "Hey Pepper, what's up?" 

"How are things going over there?"

"Fine, we won or whatever, we're finishing up, actually... Pepper?" Yes, he definitely knew why she was calling.

"I think..." she had seen too many romantic comedies, and refused to actually say _"It's time"_ in real life. "This is it" came out instead, and she decided that probably wasn't that much better.

Tony let out a low whistle. "Are you sure it's not just more Braxton Hicks?" She had been experiencing the false-labor contractions on and off for the past few weeks.

"I had almost convinced myself that it was, but the shower that my suede flats just took in amniotic fluid would be evidence to the contrary. Those were Prada, by the way." Pepper had stopped wearing tall shoes; that didn't mean she'd stopped wearing _nice_ ones.

"Shit. Shitshitshit."

She had a feeling he wasn't cursing the 'water' damage to her shoes. "Tony? Now would be a really bad time to get cold feet about this."

"No cold feet here, Potts. But I'm hours away from you, and I hate it. Are you still at home?"

"Yes, but Happy should be here in five to take me to the hospital."

"You called _Happy_ before you called me?" he asked, with mock hurt. "Tell him I'll kill him if he looks between your legs."

"Speaking of, I'll kill you with my bare hands if you show up in the suit. Go home and clean up first. Happy will go back to pick you up. I don't trust you to drive while I'm in this condition."

"Technically, if I was wearing the suit, I don't think your bare hands could--"

"Don't tempt me."

"10-4, Boss. I--hold on, I'll be right back." Their connection was muted, which meant Tony was probably on comm with someone else from the team and/or something was about to happen that he didn't particularly want her to hear. She knew that Tony intended it so that she wouldn't worry so much, but the uncertainty usually made her stress more. "Okay, Rogers says I should--and I quote--'get the hell out of here.' And since I would, of course, never argue with Captain America--stop laughing, you know I'm capable of following an order when its in my best interests--I'm on my way."

"Be careful, Tony."

"You know I do my best for you. Call me after you get checked in, we can keep each other company."

Pepper kept her end of the deal and spent the next several hours grateful that hospitals no longer had those unilateral bans on cell phones and that she'd remembered to pack a charger (since Tony hadn't quite miniaturized Arc Reactor technology enough yet for her taste in mobile electronics). Hearing his voice wasn't quite as satisfactory as having him there with her, but it was certainly better than worrying that he was still halfway around the world, and maybe dead.

They stayed on the line together up until the moment when Tony finally reached her bedside; she might have laughed at the unlikely image of Tony-freaking-Stark as the harried father-to-be running into the delivery suite with the phone still pressed to his ear if she hadn't been too busy sobbing. Tony had heard plenty of that over the previous few hours, but she could tell he was unsettled to actually see her state--desperately reaching out for him, in such obvious pain, surrounded by strangers, undone in a way that was difficult for most anyone to imagine given her own armor of sharp suits and designer footwear. Through the agony, though, she felt powerful in a completely different way than she’d ever felt in a boardroom; Tony would never completely relate to that, but she suspected he could understand a little. 

One short-yet-interminable hour after Tony got there, Audrey Ella Stark made her debut. The first name had actually been Tony's idea--at the top of an extensive list of 'A' names gathered with JARVIS's help--but it was classic, and Pepper loved it. They'd only made it halfway through their combined list of 'B' names before calling it quits and settling on Audrey. When Tony had started exclusively suggesting middle names that started with 'E,' Pepper thought she understood _Anthony Edward_ Stark's motivations a little more clearly, but she humored him anyway. There were worse people to have a name in common with than one of the classiest women in Hollywood history and the First Lady of Song, after all.

Maybe Audrey would be an entertainer instead of an engineer. A biologist instead of a businesswoman. Someone who'd shy away from the spotlight instead of basking in it. Or maybe she'd follow in their footsteps--that'd be okay too.

When Tony inquired as to Audrey's APGAR score and was told she’d gotten a rare perfect ten, he declared to the room that she was going to ace her SATs years before she could legally drive, just like her dad. Pepper didn’t think that newborn physical evaluation was terribly predictive of college entrance exam scores, but she was too mesmerized by watching the baby get arranged in Tony's arms by a nurse to dispute it.

"I thought we established that I was the only one who could hand you things,” she mused as the nurse walked away, leaving the three of them sitting together on the bed.

"This isn’t a _thing_ , Pepper," he said, tracing tiny features with one shaky finger. "This is our baby girl."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love, love, love the name Audrey; however, if I ever have a daughter, I can't name her that, because... reasons. So I gave it to Pepper and Tony instead.


	2. Look at What We Made

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You wish that you could stop time for a little while and just keep staring in awe at your daughter, whom you hope against hope will turn out to be the very best of both of you in spite of the crazy life she was born into._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The little ficlet that started it all, which is the namesake for the larger work here. I wrote this for a Livejournal its_always_been Bingo challenge (prompts "tears," "family," and "kiss") on Fathers Day 2012.
> 
> Second-person POV ahead! I tried multiple times to re-write it in a third-person voice to fit with the rest of the series, but it just never quite worked.

You're sitting with Tony on your hospital bed, leaning back against his chest.  The medical staff has finally cleared out to give you some time to get acquainted with the tiny person you're cradling.  She has your fair coloring and his bold eyes--and when her little fist grips his finger for the first time, he remarks with pride how _strong_ she is.  "Look at what we made, Pepper.   _Us._  Well, mostly you, I guess."  You can hear the teasing in his voice, and you smile.  You wonder if Tony has ever created anything else that was left so up to chance, without calculations or formulas, welding or soldering.

You wish that you could stop time for a little while and just keep staring in awe at your daughter, whom you hope against hope will turn out to be the very best of both of you in spite of the crazy life she was born into.  After a while, Tony breaks the silence, suddenly somber.  "I never thought anyone would want this with me.  Especially not you."  It's one of those rare, startling admissions that betray the vulnerability beneath the armor.  Then his breath hitches, and he buries his face in your hair, as your own eyes start to brim.  

Tears don't really fit with the Devil-may-care persona that Tony Stark has cultivated over the years, so you're one of very few people who have ever seen him cry.  Even with you, though, it's almost always only been fleeting evidence--red-rimmed eyes, a crack in his voice, some exaggerated blinks--there are certain things he just tries to avoid sharing with anybody.  There's no hiding this time.  You reach an arm over your shoulder, find the side of his neck, and hold your hand there while his tears flow, mingling with the sweat that lingers in your hair and on your skin.  He takes a steadying breath, shaking his head slightly.  "You're amazing.  She's... perfect.  I don't deserve any of this," he mumbles.

You don't quite know the right words to respond to this, so you don't say anything.  Instead, you crane your head around and your lips eventually find his.  It's wet and messy from your combined tears; the position is awkward, bordering on uncomfortable.  The kiss, like nearly everything else in your lives, is paradoxical--sweet and hot, tender and urgent, full of promises and mutual uncertainty--but it and the little bundle that has suddenly turned you into a family are everything that you both need right now.


	3. We're Good Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Tony thought it almost might have been easier if she_ had _cried; instead, Audrey just stared toward him with quiet curiosity and absolutely no idea that the guy who considered AC/DC to be lullaby material, who changed her diaper when coerced, and whom she'd eventually learn to call "Daddy" was flying off to fight bad guys and hopefully not get blown up._

The next call to Assemble came when Audrey was 4 weeks, 3 days, and 9 hours old--not that Tony was counting, or anything, but he did have a certain affinity for numbers. He'd known it would have to happen eventually, and he'd expected it to suck, but he hadn't expected it to hurt like _hell_. When it was just him and Pepper, he'd still managed to maintain a bit of smug bravado every time he got in the suit--the hero going off to save the world, and his conflicted but proud girlfriend waiting at home. There had been more gravity while she was pregnant, but they still felt like the same people. This... definitely felt different.

There were a couple tears from Pepper as he walked over to give each of them one more kiss before lowering his faceplate and taking off. He was worried that the suit might scare Audrey, despite knowing that she was too young to actually really focus her eyes yet; it turned out that hot-rod red on gold-titanium alloy was apparently a pleasing visual contrast for her. Tony thought it almost might have been easier if she _had_ cried; instead, Audrey just stared toward him with quiet curiosity and absolutely no idea that the guy who considered AC/DC to be lullaby material, who changed her diaper when coerced, and whom eventually she'd learn to call "Daddy" was flying off to fight bad guys and hopefully not get blown up.

He told Pepper not to wait up for him, and she agreed; neither of them actually believed that she wouldn't try. 

Tony had thought that the Avengers formed something better than himself, but he'd decided that wasn't really true. That was just something _bigger_ than himself, since all of them were still assholes in their own ways. Audrey, though, was basically an embodiment of everything good about life, which made sense considering that most things that Tony had already thought were good about life often directly involved Pepper. He was never going to be the guy with the dog and the white picket fence, but regardless, this was Tony Stark Version 2.0: Family Man. Or maybe 2.0 was the debut of Iron Man, and this fatherhood thing totally deserved another major release, so he had to be on at least 3.0 by now.

Tony hadn't seen most of the team since Audrey was born--their orbits tended to revolve around Manhattan and the Tower anymore, but Pepper had wanted to have the baby in California where her trusted doctor and most of her few friends were based, so they'd been in Malibu for several weeks. Natasha and Clint hadn't seen much SHIELD action lately for whatever reason, though, so they had twice 'borrowed' a Quinjet to hang out on the other coast and temporarily relieve Rhodey from his self-appointed position as "uncle, doorman, and badass." As a bonus, it turned out that they were all actually pretty good with a baby, but Tony had to ask all of them, particularly Rhodey, to stop telling Audrey really embarrassing stories about her father, even if she was too young to comprehend them. Actually, he preferred Natasha didn't tell any stories at all, because that woman had seen and done some seriously twisted stuff.

Eventually, he'd introduce the rest of them to Earth's Tiniest Hero (yes, that moniker had actually shown up in the media, and Tony thought it was _awesome_ ; Pepper, for her part, made it perfectly clear that if he ever tried to put Audrey in a suit, particularly before she reached the age of majority, he would find his balls in a vice). Steve was eager to meet Audrey, as was Thor ( _"Ah, younglings bring me such joy!"_ ), although Bruce was going to be a challenge; because of the Other Guy, Bruce didn't trust himself around a baby as far as he could throw--wait, bad analogy.

When Tony liaisoned with everyone on the Quinjet that was circling East Nowhere, he exchanged pleasantries and commandeered a tablet to show off a few recent baby pictures--including one of Audrey in a Captain America onesie ( _"Don't get verklempt, Rogers--it was a gag gift that Bruce sent and we only put it on her because she'd just spit up on her last clean Iron Man one."_ )--then he got down to business. "God, what is the population of this place, two and a half? Can't we just let the space crustaceans take this one?"

"You may be head-over-heels for your kid, but don't worry, we all still think you're a dick. You don't have anything to prove," Clint said, with a condescending pat on Tony's metal-clad forearm. 

The alien _whatevers_ were taken down handily, Tony complained a little more about how they hadn't really even needed him, especially since Bruce was there and _"Didn't anyone else see the Hulk stop one of those giant flying space slugs in Manhattan by himself?"_ , and Fury possibly sounded like he felt a modicum of guilt for calling him away from home. Stop the presses. 

When Tony finally got back to Malibu, it was after four in the morning. As he approached the house, JARVIS informed him that Pepper had gone to sleep, though the AI didn't say when or where. After Tony landed inside and the suit started to whirr off around him, he looked over to see Pepper apparently sound asleep despite the commotion; she was on a blanket on the floor, lying on her side, body slightly curled around the portable bassinet that Audrey was sleeping in. He could imagine Pepper's thought process there--wanting to be in the first place he'd set foot when he got back while staying as close to Audrey as humanly possible, without risking rolling onto her. It was a little convoluted, and it made him smile.

When the last of the suit came off and he walked towards his girls, he contemplated carrying each of them up to bed, but didn't want to wake them. "JARVIS," he whispered, "when did Pepper actually fall asleep?"

"Shortly after nursing the child, not quite two hours ago, sir. She was awake until that point. I might remind you that she has a morning meeting on her agenda, which--if I may quote--'Mr. Stark does not have permission to reschedule for me.' She has asked me to wake her at seven o'clock, which is two hours and thirty-one minutes from now."

Hearing how little sleep she'd set herself up for, Tony made up his mind. He changed out of his neoprene and into a passably clean t-shirt and sweatpants; then he found another blanket, which he threw over himself and Pepper as he laid down behind her. When she stirred, he slid an arm around her waist and murmured in her ear, "It's me, Pep. Go back to sleep." She settled down with a huff.

"Sir, will you be moving up into the bedrooms?" JARVIS asked quietly.

"No, we're good here, J."

"Very well, sir." The lights dimmed.

Tony figured his back was going to kill him in a couple hours. He was okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little by little, I'm working up the nerve to write the other Avengers more...


	4. She Didn't Need a Diamond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Remember that time we sort of talked about getting married, but you kind of shot me down, and we were too busy having post-near-death-experience sex, anyway? And then we said we'd talk about it later but never did because a whole lot of life happened?"_

"Hey, Pepper?"

"Hm?" she answered with trepidation. Tony was fidgety and seemed to be having difficulty maintaining eye contact, which always made her nervous. In this case, since he was holding their three-month-old daughter--who had been sitting in a baby carrier while he worked nearby for the past couple hours--Pepper sincerely hoped that he had been telling the truth when he said he was taking Audrey into one of the Tower's research labs that contained only computers and nothing explosive, flammable, noxious, or corrosive.

"So, we have a kid."

"Well, good--I'm glad we cleared that up."

"Come on, Pepper. Serious facial expression here, you know I'm no good at this stuff." She motioned for him to continue. "Remember that time we sort of talked about getting married, but you kind of shot me down, and we were too busy having post-near-death-experience sex, anyway? And then we said we'd talk about it later but never did because a whole lot of life happened?"

"Vaguely," which she figured that he knew meant, _"Like it was yesterday."_

"Let's talk about it."

She hesitated for a beat. "Let's not." 

He looked crestfallen. "I hope you don't think this is just about some idea of protecting your honor or some bullsh--" Pepper raised an eyebrow; he cast a glance at Audrey, "some _silly_ idea of legitimizing the family unit--Rogers hasn't rubbed off on me that much. I just want the world to know that I'm yours. Legally. Power of Attorney just doesn't quite cut it for me, anymore. And, all of this--" he gestured wildly, apparently indicating the Tower, "--and every other d...arned asset, that would all belong to you too--what little of it that didn't already. I think it would make less paperwork for us, long-term. You'd like that right?"

She shook her head with a smile--the notion that he wanted a public record of all of his wealth and _himself_ belonging to someone else was just another indication of how much he really had changed in the last few years. 

"No, what was I thinking, you secretly love paperwork..."

"Tony, I don't want to talk about it because I don't think we _need_ to talk about it. Let's just do it. Let's go buy the first rings that fit and go to the courthouse."

His eyes widened. "No ulcer-inducing guest list or designer gown? Who are you, and what have you done with Virginia Potts?"

"I don't want to wait anymore, Tony. I like the idea of legally being yours, too."

"Fair enough, Mrs.--"

"I'm not changing my name," she interrupted.

"I'm not surprised. Can I at least call you 'Mrs. Stark' in bed?"

"I'll consider all sorts of novel activity in the bedroom, but only if we can keep this out of the media until I have a chance to talk to everyone who would kill us if they found out we got married by reading it on TMZ."

"How much time do you need?"

"Twenty-four hours, just in case. Normal people work during business hours, you know."

He let out a low whistle. "You drive a hard bargain, but okay. Doesn't New York have a twenty-four hour waiting period on marriage licenses, anyway? Can't seal the deal until tomorrow. You could preemptively make your calls."

"Who are _you_ and what have you done with Tony Stark? Do we not have private jets and residences in L.A. County? There's no waiting period in California, and we could be there by noon, local time."

"Brilliant, Potts. Absolutely brilliant. JARVIS! Clear my schedule." 

Tony had two conditions: 1. that the rings had to come from Tiffany's, since their daughter's name was Audrey and Audrey Hepburn was in _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ and _"Duh, Pepper--and don't even pretend you don't love that movie,"_ and 2. Rhodey needed to be a witness ( _"I know he was kind of an ass about it, but he was there when _we_ finally happened."_ ). Pepper agreed to those, and added one of her own: if they were going to do this in California, they were going to make another round of massive donations to her favorite pro-LGBT charities as a statement against Prop 8.

Less than an hour after agreeing to the terms of this new contract, they were in the air, which was an impressive feat even for jet-setters like themselves considering how many variables needed to be factored in when traveling with an infant. They considered leaving Audrey in New York with her barely-used nanny and extensive network of super-sitters, but decided that it felt right for her to be with them for this. And even though they'd each had to be away from her for multiple full days by that point, the idea of _both_ of them being gone for more than a couple hours at a time still felt completely abhorrent.

Pepper generally tried not to pull clout, but did in this case, calling ahead to the courthouse and persisting until she was transferred to someone willing let them come in a back door, go through a private security screening, and then let them wait in another private room for their turn with the judge. Aside from having flown across the country at the drop of a hat and the fact that the rings were platinum, the no-frills ceremony didn't even begin to approach the extravagance that one might have expected from one of the world's most watched power-couples. Pepper just had a simple band and no diamond on her finger--Tony protested that point ( _"Jeez, Potts, I don't want people to think I'm cheap!_ ), but she already had a baby in her arms and nearly fifteen years of memories of what it took to get there. She didn't need a diamond too. The whole thing was both everything she wanted and nothing like she would have expected, which was a pretty good summary of their relationship in general.

Back in New York approximately twenty-four hours and three seconds after they left the courthouse, Pepper was answering work emails and half-watching CNN while Tony put Audrey down for a nap. He joined her in the living room just as the headline "STARK AND POTTS WED IN L.A." came on-screen, accompanied by a zoomed-in still-frame of Tony's left hand and some talking-head speculating about a shotgun wedding. Pepper laughed at the ridiculous insinuation that people _their_ age could be coerced into marriage, mused whether it was still called a shotgun wedding if the baby had already been born, then lamented the days when CNN covered _real_ news, before returning to the laptop that was perched on the coffee table. A few seconds had passed when, without warning, Tony turned off the TV and scooped her up off the couch, while asking JARVIS to route his baby-monitor protocol into the master bedroom.

"Tony! What are you doing? I was in the middle of a sentence!"

"I kept my end of the deal," he said, shifting her weight. "And don't ask me how many people I paid off, because I'll never tell. Now, Mrs. Stark, I believe you mentioned something about novelty in bed..." Pepper laughed as he carried her out of the living room, mock-protesting on account all of the work that she needed to get done that afternoon.

Tony had been many different things to her over the years: boss, friend, employee, boyfriend, father of her child, husband. But all along, there had been one constant: he was a pain in her ass.

And she hoped that would never change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...just in case you're wondering, the referenced 'novelty' doesn't mean I'm planning on writing a kinky follow-up to this one. I'm not opposed to kink; it's just not what I had in mind for this series, and I'm pretty sure I would be terrible at writing it. XD
> 
> ...and I'm not intending to make a habit of using my fic as a political soapbox. But I thought on it a lot as I was writing this chapter, and it felt correct to me that Pepper as a character would consider the relevancy of LGBT rights to her own marriage in California. There's been some questioning of this in the comments, and I concede that maybe I could have handled it better or not at all, but I definitely welcome further (respectful/healthy) debate.


	5. Variables

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Tony spent the next few minutes trying to figure out how to calm his daughter down. He rocked the chair; she cried harder. He stood up; she quieted a bit. Bouncing elicited a scream, but swaying seemed to help. Rubbing circles on her back with his palm didn't seem to make a damned bit of difference to Audrey, but Tony thought it made_ him _feel a little better, so he kept doing it._
> 
> _Parenting wasn't so hard when there were obvious and testable variables._

Audrey was an unnaturally well-behaved baby; Tony was pretty sure that didn't come from him. She ate well, she slept well, she wasn't colicky, she hadn't been sick--until she hit five months old and started cutting her first tooth. The deck really seemed stacked against them when she got her first ear infection four weeks after that.

He and Pepper initially tried a day of 'watchful waiting' advocated by a well-meaning pediatrician concerned about the overuse of antibiotics, but all that netted Audrey was a fever, an infection in her other ear too, and parents who were almost as miserable as she was. One night of no sleep for _any_ of them was enough justification to get that prescription for amoxicillin phoned in.

Late the next night, as Pepper slept, Tony killed a couple hours in the lab until it was time for Audrey's next dose of Infants' Tylenol. He made it to her bedroom and scooped her out of her crib just as she was starting to fuss again. "JARVIS, mute the monitor." He sensed that a full-on wail was coming, and there was no need to wake Pepper since he was already there. Fortunately, he managed to sit down and coax the medicine into Audrey before she dissolved into choking cries about a minute later.

Tony settled the baby's head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, kiddo," he said. "If there were aliens blasting into the house we'd stand a pretty good chance, and you can be damned well sure I'm going to maintain a minimum quarter-mile distance between you and any boys like _me_ , but there's not a lot I can do for immature [Eustachian tubes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eustachian_tube), despite my impressive skill-set."

Tony spent the next few minutes trying to figure out how to calm his daughter down. He rocked the chair; she cried harder. He stood up; she quieted a bit. Bouncing elicited a scream, but swaying seemed to help. Rubbing circles on her back with his palm didn't seem to make a damned bit of difference to Audrey, but Tony thought it made _him_ feel a little better, so he kept doing it.

Parenting wasn't so hard when there were obvious and testable variables.

Talking was something that seemed to comfort her consistently, so he kept up a running chatter. "Come on, now, if you keep up like this you're going to wake up your mom. You know, she's probably secretly cultivating your lung capacity with the hopes that you end up singing opera instead of going to MIT. That'd be totally fine, by the way--you singing opera, even though opera is kind of boring. And not going to MIT would be okay, too, but I'll never admit that to Uncle Rhodey. Whatever you do, just don't go to Harvard... Cambridge would be a lot better off without their brand of elitism. At least I know how to _make_ the silver spoon I was born with."

Audrey gave him a few more quiet whimpers; Tony wasn't sure if he'd managed to soothe her or she'd just tired herself out. He had just decided to score it as a victory, regardless, when he saw Pepper in the doorway out of the corner of his eye.

"Well, Pepper, the tabloids are finally right," he said as he watched Audrey shove a fist in her mouth--one of her favorite pastimes since she started teething.

"Meaning...?"

"You caught me with another woman."

"I might be worried by that if there was lipstick on your collar, but all I see is snot and drool."

He smirked at his wife. "Did she manage to wake you up despite me cutting the monitor?"

"Well, she does have impressive lungs. She'll be singing arias on stage at the Met before we know it."

Tony looked at her askance. "How long were you listening from the hallway?" She responded with only a smile. "Natasha is rubbing off on you too much--I don't like it."

Pepper rolled her eyes at him as she walked over to wrap her arms around his waist from behind, kissing the top of the baby's head before resting her chin on Tony's other shoulder. "She seems calm now. We should put her back down, let her try to fall asleep on her own."

"Mhm." He didn't move. "Actually, I was thinking I could just sit in the chair over there and--"

"Tony..."

"Alright, alright," he said reluctantly, gently lowering Audrey into the crib, then leaning on the bars with a sigh as the baby settled on the mattress. "I wish I could do more for her."

"I bet she wishes that Daddy would get some sleep, at least until it's time for more medicine and more talking at her about college decisions that are seventeen years down the road," Pepper murmured next to his ear.

"Seventeen?" Tony scoffed at her. "You know, I was only--"

"I know exactly how old you were, thank you. And exactly how well that all worked out for your emotional maturity." She sounded like she was teasing. Maybe.

Tony cocked his head and squinted in Pepper's direction, then leaned over to stage-whisper at their daughter. "Audrey, Mommy fights dirty. You can learn some tricks from her, but only if you always take my side in arguments."

Pepper gave him an exaggerated sigh as she nudged him in the direction of the door. Tony hesitated, feeling a little guilty about leaving their sick baby alone, even though her deep, even breathing suggested that she was already fully asleep. "Come on, she should be out for a while, and you're dead on your feet. JARVIS, restore the monitor, please." He'd operated on much less sleep before, but he had to admit to himself that he felt completely drained. Pepper took his hand and led him towards their bedroom; he stripped off his damp t-shirt before climbing into bed next to her. 

Barely any time seemed to pass between when Tony's head hit the pillow and when he was awakened by another piercing cry. He groaned when he checked the time and realized that it was too soon to feed Audrey or give her another dose of Tylenol; they were just going to have to ride this one out. Pepper sat up next to him and started to swing her legs toward the side of the bed, but Tony caught her by the wrist.

"I'll get her," he yawned.

"You took the last shift, I can--"

"--stay in bed, since you have meetings in the morning and have to get up early to feed her," he said as he threw back the covers and stood up. "Unless you're intending to spy on me again... in which case, you're getting out of bed anyway, so take care of her yourself." He figured the fact that he was already halfway out the door made it clear that he was just giving her a hard time.

"Tony?"

He stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"For the record, sometimes boys like you turn out just fine," Pepper said as she settled back into her pillow.

He shook his head, smiling to himself, and stepped into the hallway towards their daughter's room.


	6. The First Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When Audrey was almost ten months old, the rest of the board indicated that both Tony and Pepper would be expected at an upcoming black-tie gala. Pepper wasn't going to let Tony worm his way out of it and make her go alone, there was still no replacement for the nanny, and Rhodey was overseas through the week, so they had three days to find someone trustworthy and available to watch their daughter for a full evening at the Tower._
> 
> _Enter Steve Rogers._

Despite all the new directions that Tony had personally taken Stark Industries, PR still held some power over both Pepper and him. When it came to board meetings, company functions, and fundraisers, success was scored highest when the CEO _and_ CTO / President / Kick-Ass Duke / whatever-Tony-felt-like-designating-himself-at-the-moment were physically present. However, both of them (mostly Tony) had found the 'new baby' card extremely effective at buying one of them an excuse to stay home with their daughter, until the board got wind that a carefully vetted but rarely utilized nanny was on staff. That fueled shareholder annoyance over only ever seeing one member of the First Family of the company at a time. Eventually, pressure built for the baby to spend more time in public, too.

Tony and Pepper acquiesced and decided to bring seven-month-old Audrey to an afternoon scholarship fundraiser for kids affected by the Chitauri attack--Pepper had figured there would be a satisfactory number of superheroes and clandestine government agents in attendance to rein in any potential disasters, although Tony seemed to think that was as much liability as insurance.

For her part, Audrey wielded a pale purple taffeta dress, a matching headband, and tiny ivory-colored Mary Janes; she was _precious_ , and initially didn't seem to mind the adoration from strangers. After a couple of hours, though, she became uncharacteristically clingy to the point of Tony having to pry her fingers out of the death-grip she had on a lock of Pepper's hair when he said he was going to go take the baby somewhere to "chill out."

Pepper headed to the restroom a short time later. When she opened the outer door leading to the small lounge that separated the toilets from the hallway, she was only mildly surprised to find Tony sitting there on a couch with the baby. "I think you're in the wrong bathroom, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah, well, I thought maybe some quiet would help, but she's still trying to burrow her head inside my suitcoat."

"Doesn't really explain why you're here and not the men's room," she said, sitting down next to him and running a hand down Audrey's back.

"You always get more comfortable couches." He paused for a moment, but not long enough for Pepper to ask--she probably didn't want to know, anyway. "Let's take her home."

Audrey's appearance at the event was a PR boon, but Tony made it known to the board in writing that very evening that _this_ Stark was not going to be paraded like a prized calf. Had Pepper written the memo herself, she would have worded the final line a bit more formally than Tony's declaration of _"Been there, done that,"_ but he certainly made his point. Compromise, however, necessitated that they become comfortable with leaving the baby alone with the nanny (who had military and martial arts experience, after all) for more than a couple of hours at a time. They worked on it for a few weeks--until said nanny resigned due to expecting a baby of her own.

The situation annoyed Tony to no end. "Why didn't we ask candidates if it was possible for them to get pregnant in the next eighteen years?"

"You may be aware that it's not always planned, Tony. And besides, that's an illegal interview question," Pepper said impatiently. 

"And you probably think I was satisfied with _government_ background checks when--"

She gave him a practiced blank look that somehow managed to scream _"I don't want to know."_ He wisely stopped talking.

~ ~ ~ ~

When Audrey was almost ten months old, the rest of the board indicated that both Tony and Pepper would be expected at an upcoming black-tie gala. Pepper wasn't going to let Tony worm his way out of it and make her go alone, there was still no replacement for the nanny, and Rhodey was overseas through the week, so they had three days to find someone trustworthy and available to watch their daughter for a full evening at the Tower.

Enter Steve Rogers.

"Audrey seems to like him, and he's built like a brick shithouse, obviously has a soft spot for kids, and probably thinks my dad would haunt him if anything happened to her," Tony said. Pepper wasn't quite sure how she'd ended up with a life where her husband--Tony Stark, no less--suggested in complete seriousness that they ask Captain America to babysit their infant daughter, but Steve _was_ a logical choice. And since he'd spent time in an orphanage growing up, he was bound to have had some experience caring for little ones--although, when Pepper mentioned that point, Tony wondered if Steve's methods might be a little outdated. "JARVIS, add 'giving Audrey brandy if she's fussy' to the 'NO' list for Rogers."

"Certainly. Shall I list bourbon and whiskey as alternatives?"

"Who taught you to be such a smart-ass?"

"I should think that would be obvious, sir."

When Steve reported for duty that Saturday afternoon, Pepper and Tony were both in the kitchen: she feeding the baby, and he pouring himself a cup of coffee, apparently feeling the need to fuel before a long evening. 

Tony greeted Steve as he usually did: indirectly and with snark. "Hey look, Audrey, Grandpa Steve is here."

Steve looked slightly annoyed. "I may technically have half a century on you, but I'm still better looking."

Tony chuckled. "I'm impressed by how easily you've taken command of modern insults, Cap," he said, approvingly. "Anyway, despite the evidence in front of me that cold water is good for the complexion, I'm going to go take a hot shower," he said, clapping Steve's shoulder as he walked past.

Pepper watched Tony disappear down the hallway. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate your help, Steve."

"Oh, it's no trouble. I think Audrey and I get along pretty well."

"Don't be modest--she adores you," she said, just as Audrey started to babble excitedly in Steve's direction, causing her to dribble puréed squash down her chin. Pepper looked up to see Steve responding with a crooked smile. "I'll finish up with her dinner and then leave her to you--I need to get ready myself. I wanted to talk to you about something before we go, though."

"Of course, but you know JARVIS already relayed the list of 'do's' and 'don'ts' yesterday."

"This isn't about Audrey, per se." At Steve's questioning look, she continued. "It must bother you, how much Tony ribs you about your... circumstances."

Steve gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'm pretty used to it, by now. Don't worry about it."

"But... how can I explain this..." she trailed off, pursing her lips as she wiped her daughter's face and started cleaning up the high chair. "You knew his father. Maybe better than he did--or at least maybe a different version from the one that he got, who was something of a mean drunk and terrible at expressing any kind of care or affection with him. His childhood wasn't all bad, of course, and he'll never ever _ever_ admit this to you, but he does have fond memories of his dad telling war stories--most of which involved you." Steve looked a little embarrassed. "I'm not saying all this to try to make you uncomfortable, and we could never pretend to understand what you've been through, but you being around now has always been a little bit complicated for Tony, too." She scooped Audrey out of the high chair. "Most of our families have passed, and having a baby sort of makes us start to question, in our own ways, whether we made the most of the time we had with them. And how things might have been different with grandparents around. Mean drunks or not."

"Pepper, I--" he hesitated, apparently unsure how to respond.

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "You don't need to say anything. But, next time you catch Tony calling you 'Grampsicle' in front of her..." she sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure where I'm even going with this." Steve nodded once, apparently satisfied to leave it at that. Pepper passed the baby to him. "Well, I'll let you two get to your fun. I'd prefer she didn't do anything I wouldn't normally let her do, but _make sure_ she doesn't do anything Tony wouldn't allow."

"I'm guessing there isn't much he doesn't let her get away with."

Pepper just smiled.

~ ~ ~ ~

By nine o'clock, Pepper knew that Audrey was probably already asleep, but she couldn't help frequently and anxiously checking the time.

"She's fine, Pepper. I'm sure Steve got her to bed right on time, and she's blissfully unaware that her parents are out living it up without her."

"Maybe we should call him."

"JARVIS would let us know if either of them so much as sneezed too many times in a row." She apparently looked really skeptical, or Tony didn't want to admit that he wanted to check in as badly as she did; she suspected the latter. "Tell you what. Go call Steve,"--he had apparently finally learned that she was _far_ too polite to not step out of the room before making a cell-phone call in the middle of a charity function--"and by the time you come back, I'll be holding a vodka martini for you. And you will enjoy the remainder of a rare night out with your dashing husband."

"I've gotten rather used to all those nights _in_ with my dashing husband."

Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting we ditch this ordeal in favor of hanky panky, Potts?"

"I think we..." she leaned in to murmur in Tony's ear, "should check in with Steve, and if everything is fine, we'll stay until at least eleven o'clock like we said we would," Pepper finished with a peck on his cheek. As she turned and walked away, she said, "Lots of olives, please!" over her shoulder.

"Minx!" he called after her. Pepper laughed to herself at the look she got from a couple bystanders--and the idea that _eleven o'clock_ had become a late night out for them.

Of course, everything _was_ fine when she called Steve--who told her that they should stay out as long as they liked--so they didn't get back until half past midnight. 

"JARVIS, report in," Tony said, taking off his tux jacket.

"Welcome home, sir, Ms. Potts. Miss Stark has been asleep in her crib since approximately half-past eight. Captain Rogers was reading on a tablet in her room until approximately fifteen minutes ago, when he himself began to doze."

"Thank you, JARVIS," Pepper replied, just as she noticed a sheet of paper sitting on the counter. It was an adorable shoulders-up graphite sketch of Audrey--obviously Steve's doing--with a few haphazard colored-pencil scribbles next to and occasionally over it--obviously Audrey's doing. Pepper hadn't tried giving any sort of art supplies to the baby yet, but now that that cat was out of the bag, she made a mental note to keep anything of the sort out of unsupervised reach.

"Captain Rembrandt strikes again," Tony said, peering over her shoulder. "Wait, did Audi have those pigtails when we left? Or is hairstyling another one of his secret talents?"

"I did her hair, and our daughter is not a car, Tony."

"Come on, it's a cute nickname. And I said ' _aw_ -dee.' The cars are ' _ow_ -dee.' I have, like, five of them in New York alone, I thought you'd have caught on to the pronunciation by now."

Pepper tsked at him and sent him to go tell Steve they were home. As she set the drawing back down, she realized that her thumb and the low light had been obscuring a small bit of printing in Steve's even hand.

_To: Mommy & Daddy  
From: Audrey & Grampsicle_

It was true that many of their blood relatives were gone, but as Pepper swallowed down the slight lump that had suddenly formed in her throat, she decided they weren't really lacking family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real-life is busy, but I'm definitely not done writing here yet. Check back in a few weeks! :)
> 
> Also, I haven't forgotten about Uncle Rhodey. But my headcanon goes something like this: Tony and Rhodey are great friends, but both really busy people--their business connection (with Rhodey as military liaison to Stark Industries) gave them an excuse to spend more time together. But since SI seems to be pretty firmly out of weapons manufacturing by the time _The Avengers_ rolls around, it doesn't make sense for Rhodey to still have the same level of connection with the company. So, for the most part he's stuck in California (where Edwards AFB is) being busy with... Air Force business.
> 
> In other words, it's been a while since I've watched IM/IM2, and I need to brush up on my MCU Rhodey before I actually try to write scenes with him, and I had Captain America feels to deal with in the mean time.


	7. Decidedly Upright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Tony held onto his daughter's hands a little longer than strictly necessary before letting go and watching her step away from him--which, he supposed, was fairly analogous to parenting in general._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd been brainstorming this idea for a couple weeks, but [Pepperony Week](http://pepperonyweek.tumblr.com/)'s Day 4 prompt of "Pregnancy/Family" motivated me to actually put the words on the screen. I've spent less time revising this than previous chapters, so I may come back and polish it a bit later, but I wanted to go ahead and post it in time for the challenge.

Tony's distaste for using a nanny or even a good-as-family babysitter was more than an issue of worrying about Audrey anytime she was out of his or Pepper's sight. 

Statistically, the odds weren't really in his favor to make it until Audrey's first day of school, let alone high school, college... He'd voided the warranty on his liver alone before his twenty-fifth birthday. Sure, he still acted like the invincible Tony Stark, but if there was anything to be gained from waking up on the street after blacking out due to flying through a space portal with a nuke, or any of his other (mis)adventures as Iron Man, it was a greater appreciation of his own mortality. And even if he was still kicking upon her graduation from wherever-she-goes-to-school-totally-fine-if-it's-not-MIT, if Audrey followed a normal grade progression like Pepper hoped--how boring--he would be _sixty-five_.

Well.

Basically, Tony was worried that he might miss something important in his daughter's life. Or worse, that _she_ might know he missed something important in her life. He wasn't too keen on perpetuating that family trait, but the fact that he hadn't immediately turned into an embittered drunk after becoming a father in his forties was a good start. All this meant that he frequently ended up brainstorming with JARVIS on the couch instead of working down in the labs, despite the compromise on productivity, while Audrey played on the living room carpet. 

For several weeks, she'd been able to pull herself to her feet using the couch or coffee table, and had recently started tottering around with the help of a baby-doll stroller; she hadn't before shown any signs of giving up that support, though. Tony had Audrey in the corner of his eye while he read on a tablet, and became vaguely aware that she'd let go of the stroller, when it rolled a few paces ahead of her. It was a common occurrence that always resulted in her sitting down or toppling over onto her hands within a few seconds. 

"Buuuu...!" Tony glanced up, and chuckled at the look of sheer offense on his daughter's face that the stroller had dared to leave her clutches again.

"Yeah, Audrey, you tell that thing who's boss." He started to look back down at his work, but realized with a start that she was still standing there, staring at the toy and babbling at it. She wobbled a little, but stayed decidedly upright. Tony sat with rapt attention to see what she'd do next, and resisted the temptation to intervene or coach her on--Starks tended to make some of their biggest breakthroughs independently and/or under duress. So, he waited, then watched as Audrey took first one, then a second shuffling little step forward, before tripping face-first into the stroller.

Tony sprang off the couch, steeling himself for wails that never came; Audrey, who seemed aware that she'd just achieved something new, was too busy giggling and trying to push herself upright again with her hands. He nudged the stroller a couple feet farther ahead of the baby with his foot and grabbed her arms to help her steady herself. Tony held onto his daughter's hands a little longer than strictly necessary before letting go and watching her step away from him--which, he supposed, was fairly analogous to parenting in general. He sent Audrey chasing after the stroller one more time before he was convinced that it was really happening, replication being the heart of any science and all. 

The excitement of the moment was tempered slightly by the fact that Pepper wasn't there to share it. She was in a meeting with some dignitaries and had given him explicit instructions not to interrupt, barring absolute catastrophe. So, naturally he immediately picked up his tablet and called her.

Several seconds later, Pepper's face filled the screen; she seemed to have taken the time to step out into the hallway outside the conference room. "Tony. You know I don't actually hope that someone we care about is dead or dying, but that's pretty much the only excusable reason for pulling me out of this meeting."

"Yeah, well, I debated waiting to show you this until you got back this afternoon, but that seemed improper."

"Okay, not reassuring."

"It's good, Pep, trust me." He sat down and the floor a few feet in front of Audrey and propped the tablet with both camera and screen oriented so that she and Pepper could see each other. "C'm'ere, Audrey! Mommy misses you! Come come say 'Hi' to Mommy!"

Audrey squealed and started to toddle across the space separating them, babbling "Ma ma ma ma ma..." as she went. Pepper let out an excited gasp. "Oh my god, Tony, when did she start--"

"About... a minute and a half ago? I wasn't even egging her on--it was all her," he said, proudly. "Almost there, kiddo."

As Audrey reached the tablet with a shriek of delight, she pressed her palms against the screen. When her expression suddenly changed to one of consternation, Tony lifted her into his lap and scooted in front of the camera.

"You know it confuses her when she sees a familiar face who can't give kisses." Pepper was chastising him, but couldn't hide her smile, or the fact that she was wiping her eyes.

"I'll give her enough for the both of us for now. I just wanted you to see first-person, not JARVIS's eye-in-the-sky. Though, I promise to have him put together a nice highlight reel for you if you get your gorgeous ass home before dinner."

"Language, Tony. You know she could start spitting out real words any day now."

"So, she'll have a colorful vocabulary that will occasionally embarrass you in social situations and that I'll think is hilarious. Do we have a deal, or what?"

Pepper laughed. "I'll be home in a couple of hours."


	8. Say, 'Goodnight.'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> __
> 
> _"Seriously? I seem to recall a conversation where you told me I was 'constitutionally incapable' of responsibility, and now you don't even expect me to have a nightcap?"_
> 
> _"Well, there's a lot that's different since then, isn't there?"_
> 
> In which Tony has a heart-to-heart with Uncle Rhodey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the final chapter! I've had this in progress for over six months, and I figured I'd better actually publish it before the movie comes out here in the US. It's pretty short, but I hope you think it's sweet.

"Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes is approaching by car. I estimate arrival in the parking structure in ninety seconds."

"Got it, J," Tony replied as he finished changing Audrey into her pajamas. 

Rhodey had told him that he would have walked across the country if that was the only way he could have gotten to his 'niece's' first birthday party--[un]surprisingly enough, there was no opposition to the offer of a Stark jet to get him from California to New York, with a convertible waiting at the airstrip for the final leg of the journey into Midtown.

The elevator pinged and opened its doors just as Tony made his way into the living area, sleepy daughter on his hip. "You know, Rhodey, the suit would have gotten you here a lot faster," he said as the other man shouldered an overnight bag and stepped off the elevator, "and then you could have gotten more quality time with the kid before bedtime, instead of having to share her with everybody else at the shindig tomorrow. Audrey, tell Uncle Flyboy that I'm right."

"Fy buh!" the baby mimicked, stretching an arm outwards. Tony obliged and handed her over to Rhodes, who unabashedly grinned at the little girl. "Hey sweetie, it's been a while--you remember me?" Audrey responded by yawning and settling her head on his shoulder. "I'll take what I can get. Besides, Tony, you know the suit isn't strictly mine--I can't be taking it for joyrides. And there's no room for a carry-on."

"Maybe I should develop some cargo capacity. That'd be useful for those weekend camping trips we've been talking about for never."

Even as Rhodey chuckled, Audrey's eyes drooped; she turned to bury her face in the side of the man's neck. "Nope, there's the line," Tony chided, "She's not allowed to love any boys more than Daddy. Hand her over." When Rhodey pouted, he continued, "Okay, seriously, that's not a becoming look on an officer of the Armed Forces. Anyway, she really should have been down almost an hour ago, and if _you_ make her cranky for tomorrow, _I'll_ still be the one Pepper strings up." He motioned for Rhodes to pass the baby back to him; Audrey started to squirm when she reached her father's arms. "No use fighting it, kiddo, it's time for bed," Tony murmured as he smoothed her hair and started towards her bedroom.

"I guess I'll wait here?"

"Well, you can follow if you want, but you'd just witness a diaper check. And possibly singing... yep, you can wait here. And you're not allowed to use JARVIS to spy on me. Audrey, say 'Goodnight.'"

Rhodes settled on another yawn as response.

~ ~ ~ ~

Once the baby was settled in her room, Tony headed to his bar, pouring two short glasses of Scotch to carry over to the lounge area. As he passed one of them to his friend before joining him not he couch, he said, "You know you could have helped yourself."

"I didn't want to assume you'd be partaking, and I don't like to drink alone."

"Seriously? I seem to recall a conversation where you told me I was 'constitutionally incapable' of responsibility, and now you don't even expect me to have a nightcap?"

"Well, there's a lot that's different since then, isn't there?"

"Nah, just revolutionized energy production in a cave, became a superhero, contributed some DNA to a perfect child, and got married... no big."

Rhodes looked at him incredulously. "You know there's a whole lot more than DNA at work on Audrey."

"What, you're going to play the nature versus nurture game? I gave her some smarts and the heart-melting eyes, the rest is all Pepper."

"Can I say 'bullshit' now that Audrey's in bed?"

Tony snorted. "At ease, Airman."

"That's bullshit and you know it. Obviously Pepper is a goddess, but look at you. It is Friday night and you on diaper and lullaby duty and nursing what I'm almost certain will be your only Scotch of the night."

"Keep up the heart-to-heart crap and you might force me to prove you wrong on the drinking." 

"Also B.S. I know how good you've been on that front."

"Pepper is such a narc sometimes--it's terrible for my image." He took another sip before lounging back against the couch. "So I'm managing to find my own ass with two hands and a mirror these days. This does not a good parent make, Rhodes." 

"The rest of the world would never believe how pitifully insecure you can be."

Tony raised his glass. "To daddy issues," he mock-toasted before setting his his glass onto the table. "Which, I won't deny," he said, resting his forearms on his knees, "at least not to you." He cleared his throat and scrubbed his hands together, with just a hint of awkwardness. "Thanks. For, you know, putting up with me."

Rhodes responded with a cocked head and half a shrug. "I'm not the only one who always will, you know."

As if on cue, the elevator toned another arrival; Tony sat up as Pepper arrived home after a video conference with West Coast staffers at the end of their business day. "Jim! I'm so glad you could come in tonight. It's been too long," she said as she crossed the room to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Tony threw his hands up in exasperation. "And now both of my girls have been all over you. And you're just eating it up. This is how you repay my hospitality?"

Pepper clicked her tongue at Tony, before settling on the couch next to him and leaning over. "Get over yourself, Mr. Stark," she muttered against his lips.

"Get a room," Rhodes teased, finishing his drink.

"Uh, in case you've forgotten, we kind of own the place... ergo, all the rooms are ours."

Pepper smirked. "Roof, too."

Tony wagged his eyebrows and snaked an arm around Pepper's waist as Rhodey rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Looking between his oldest friend and his wife, Tony marveled that--for a number of years that he preferred not to enumerate--he'd managed to keep the love and respect of both of them.

In that moment, he finally believed he would do right by his little girl, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I _finally_ managed to turn my feelings about Rhodey and Tony's friendship into writing. How did I do with the character and their friendship, gentle readers?
> 
> Coincidentally, today (April 25, 2013) would have been the 96th birthday of Ella Fitzgerald--the namesake for Audrey's middle name. <3

**Author's Note:**

> We made it to the end!
> 
> Thank you for reading, especially those of you who have been with this series from its beginnings as a nervous post on the [Tony and Pepper livejournal community](http://tonypepper.livejournal.com/). I've been reading fanfic for years and years and _years_ but I never imagined I'd publish something that would be worth thousands of hits and so much love!
> 
> I tend to be a person who gets hung up on canon-compliance, and I'm just assuming that a lot of this will end up contradicting with the timeline and events established by _Iron Man 3_ , so there probably won't be any new additions to this series. That doesn't mean I won't write any more fic for these two ever, though. :)
> 
> I can't take credit for any of these characters except Audrey, and she really doesn't do much at this point. No profit or personal gain intended other than your feedback. :)


End file.
